The present invention relates to plasma arc torches and to methods of assembling and disassembling such torches.
A plasma arc torch generally comprises a torch body assembly that supports an electrode for emitting an electrical arc that attaches to a workpiece to be operated upon, and a nozzle for directing a flow of a plasma gas toward the workpiece such that the plasma gas stream surrounds the arc. The electrode and nozzle generally are regarded as “consumables” that are subject to deterioration during operation of the torch and that therefore must be replaced periodically in order to restore the torch to a proper condition for satisfactory operation. Typically a plasma arc torch includes a number of front end parts that must be removed in order to gain access to the consumables for replacement. In many existing plasma arc torches, the various front end parts must be removed one at a time, and then reinstalled one at a time after replacement of the consumables. The process thus is relatively inefficient and cumbersome.